Senators on Duterte ratings drop: ‘Wake-up call’ for govt

SENATORS from both the majority and minority blocs have agreed that the two-digit drop in the satisfaction and trust ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte was a “wake up call” for the government to seriously address the issues on corruption, poverty, and police impunity.

According to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on 1,500 adult respondents from September 23 to 27, the President’s net satisfaction rating dropped 18 percent from a “very good” 66 percent in June to a “good” 48 percent.

The survey also showed that President Duterte’s trust rating suffered a 15-percent dip from an “excellent” +75 in June to a “very good” + 60.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Monday that the executive branch should not become complacent. “I encourage the President and his administration to view these survey results as a constructive challenge to do more for the Filipino people.”

“Corruption, poverty, and police impunity are three important issues in particular which deserve more attention from the executive branch,” he said.

“I was hoping that somebody like PRRD (the president’s initials) would give us a not ‘more-of-the-same’ type of president that our country has been missing all through these years,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the government “must better take a second look at their policies and the way they enforce their policies.”

“The drop in President Duterte’s approval and trust ratings should serve as wake-up call for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to rethink its strategy for the drug war and address the killings in our communities,” Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino said.

Gatchalian and Lacson belong to majority bloc while Drilon and Aquino are members of the minority group.